The Moroccan LGBT Community: Decriminalise Homosexuality in Morocco

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Two more men jailed for homosexual acts in#Tangier, #Morocco.

Two Moroccan men have been jailed for six months and fined 2,000 dirhams (£375) each on charges of homosexuality.
The sentence was handed down by a court in Tangier, north of Morocco on Friday 24th of February 2017.
The arrest has followed a video that was shared online of the two young men in a homosexual act. Their prison sentence might even increase as there is another charge against them which holds them guilty for broadcasting pornographic images which is also punishable.
The two men whose names will remain unknown for their safety and privacy are adult students who allegedly were engaged in consensual sex which should not be punished for. However,Article 489 of the Penal Code of Morocco criminalizes “lewd or unnatural acts with an individual of the same sex.” Same-sex sexual activity is illegal in Morocco and can be punished with anything from 6 months to 3 years imprisonment and a fine of 120 to 1200 dirhams.

Join and support the Moroccan LGBT community on our Facebook page.The Moroccan LGBT Community

Article 489 is a crime against humanity

We will never give up criticizing laws that are restricting human rights and punish the individual for the body she/ he was born with. Some Moroccan laws are against human nature which evolves. How can you let these laws be stuck in the past?! We were born gay even if your laws say the opposite. We were born gays, but because your laws are religiously dated, you rule that we are acting against nature. Wake up Morocco! 

The hardship about being gay in Morocco comes not only from the society and culture, but from the laws and system of the punishment imposed by the state. The government sadly made people believe that homosexuality must be punishable that it is as dangerous to the society as other serious crimes. Homosexuality should not be a crime.

Our greatest capital is our sense of solidarity and togetherness. We understand that our struggle is difficult within this political, religious, cultural and social conservatism of Morocco, but we will not give up as we know that there are plenty of people out there who support us. Don't let pessimism carries you away from the fact that you could change what people think is unchangeable. Let's keep our sense of solidarity. Let's keep together all against the injustice and recklessness of the Moroccan laws regarding the LGBT 

I care about human rights. I care about people. I care about anything that brings happiness to the world. Let us all do good for this world. We don't have to be harsh on others to show them that we are brave! We don't have to sound superior to those who need us. We are one and we should be always one. 
Difference should be our richness. Compassion should be our feature of our passion. With love we can survive. With love we can challenge our difficulties. I stand with human rights. I stand with love and equality for all human beings, no matter what their gender, sexual orientations, race and regions are. I will keep fighting for freedom, equality and tolerance by spreading love and making people aware that we are all equal, no matter what politics try to make us believe. I am here for LGBT rights in Morocco.
That is me. Will you be like me?

Please join us for our human rights case to make the Moroccan government legalize homosexuality in Morocco. This is a very important issue for us, as this year so many people were jailed, attacked, abused, raped for being gay.

The appalling conditions that gay people go through during their prison terms leave them with life-enduring traumas, rejection from their families, friends and job-market. LGBT community is leaving in constant fear as we are enable to report crimes and attacks against us to the Police! We need a law that protects us from violence and death threat not a law that makes us criminals!

Amnesty International calls for the decriminalization of homosexuality where such legislation remains, including a review of all legislation which could result in the discrimination, prosecution and punishment of people solely for their sexual orientation or gender identity. All such laws should be repealed or amended.

Morocco should make a move and protect the LGBT community!

Gay rights are human rights and excluding them from the agenda of protection of human rights in any country is a pure hypocrisy and oppression. Countries where you are punish for your sexual orientation like Morocco choose what suits its political and religious agenda over humanity and justice. Morocco, be inclusive not selective!

The State's Violence in Morocco

Unjustified use of violence is not something new in Morocco. It has been a feature of the tyranny of the 'Makhzane' since Independence. Hassane II was the 'Lord' of fear, a king that mastered the art of torture, and political suppression of students, activists and progressive writer and journalists. His sunset was a relief and a hope for a better day with the sunrise of his successor Mohamed VI. The hope has not came to an end yet. It has not diminished, but got even bigger. However, the question is how far can we go and wait for the better days we all fantasize about to come with the ongoing rule of the 'Makhzane and the atmosphere of fear that they are still sawing in Morocco?
Going against the state, the national integrity and the spread of Fitna in Morocco is terribly a No No issue, and severely punishable to an extend no one could ever expect a judge to give a minimal. Such acts also have gained much support by a large majority of the Moroccans, especially when it comes to rebels against the Western Sahara. The use of violence was so apparent against protesters in Western Sahara . the Moroccan security forces repeatedly beat and abused people they detained following disturbances on November 8, 2010, in the Western Sahara capital city of El-Ayoun, according to Human Rights Watch. Protests like those bring the wrath of the Makhzane and blood on the way.
Far from the issue of the integrity and the threats of rebels, the state and the Mekhzane are also crushing students teachers trainees. The use of violence was incredible through the series of several protests that took place in major cities in Morocco last year. This year the same scenario is being repeated. Several teachers trainees are protesting against the government's strategy against this group which will leave them with bleak future. Thought the international condemnation about the use of violence against the teachers trainees, the Moroccan authorities have not changed the way they treat peaceful protectors. There have been even news reports in social media that some of the protectors were killed in series of fierce clashes between protectors and the police.
The use of violence by the Moroccan authorities is still an issue that is hard to expose on social media, though we get glimpse about it sometimes in those brave video clips on Youtube and Facebook. People at the margin of the society like the LGBTQ community are made silent by both, the government and the society. There were several cases when many gay men were abused by the police, beaten and tortured when they fell in the wrong hands. Such violation of human rights is gaining more support unfortunately by the large majority of the Moroccan society. Being exposed to the violence of the Makhzane within the LGBTQ community is definitely the worse in those series of unlawfulness of the human suppression in Morocco. Therefore, there should a collective understanding that as a society, we are going to be always exposed to the violence of the Makhzane by being kept divided.

Dear the Moroccan government; you can imprison us, you can ignore our torture, but nothing will stop us fighting for our right to be who we are.
We are made silent, we are made to suffer, we are made invisible, we are hurtfully made criminals just because of our sexual orientation. A situation like this will not last forever. Dear the Moroccan government; we are not anti-Islam, we are not anti-Moroccan culture, we are just stating our opinion not to be judge for being gay.

 LGBT Commun-ity is in Danger in Morocco  

UN, EU, Human right's Watch, please HELP!